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Monday, October 15, 2012

The Power of We: Red Tape Movement

My name is Prabhat Misra; I am in
government job as an officer in the district Etawah [U.P., India]. I am also running a
peaceful and non-violent movement to save trees and bio-diversity, named
"RED TAPE MOVEMENT", in Etawah. This movement was started by me on
5th June, 2008. Under this movement, especially on a holiday, we choose a
village and go to this village and do plantation and then tie red tapes on
existing trees trunks, with the help of villagers and there, we give them
message that to cut the trees is lethal for our future and generations to come.
I started this movement with the help of a local N.G.O. named “Swami Vivekanand
Sewa Sansthan”, Etawah. Initially, we faced the problem of co-operation at grass
root level. Later, with continuous awareness campaign, regarding the importance
of trees and bio-diversity and dangers of Climate Change, at grass root level,
especially with villagers, positively changed the co-operation. Till now, we
have tied Red Tapes on about 10,000 trees trunks with the help of villagers.
Red Tape Movement has now taken a big shape, from few peoples to many peoples
co-operation, in the form of “Peoples Participation Movement”. Red Tape
Movement has also been the part of several actions such as Earth Day, Earth
Hour, 350.org’s Connect the Dots and many more days of action. Such people’s
participation movements are the need of the hour to save our biodiversity and
nature.

My experience about this movement
is very positive and energetic. We are living in a world which is under
“transition and transformation phase” of energy and facing the problem of
Climate Change. So, we must develop a better and natural “GHG Sink system” to
achieve 350 ppm CO2 level in the atmosphere. Trees are “Best Natural Sinks” of
CO2 and will be helpful to tackle with Climate Change. World Community should
keep one fundamental rule, while making any planning, that, “United We” can
save earth from Climate Change, through such peoples participatory grass root
level awareness movements. This is MUST to save our beautiful Earth from
Climate Change for our future generations to come. Red Tape movement is
now spreading fast at grass root level and peoples are supporting our move to
protect and save trees and bio-diversity.